Distribution of cannabinoid receptor 1 in the CNS of zebrafish

The cannabinoid receptor 1 (Cb1) mediates the psychoactive effect of marijuana. In mammals, there is abundant evidence advocating the importance of cannabinoid signaling; activation of Cb1 exerts diverse functions, chiefly by its ability to modulate neurotransmission. Thus, much attention has been d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuroscience 2006, Vol.138 (1), p.83-95
Main Authors: Lam, C.S., Rastegar, S., Strähle, U.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Brain Chemistry - drug effects
Brain Chemistry - physiology
Cannabis
Central Nervous System - metabolism
Danio rerio
Diencephalon - metabolism
Diencephalon - physiology
DNA, Complementary - biosynthesis
DNA, Complementary - genetics
dopamine
Freshwater
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
In Situ Hybridization
Larva
Mesencephalon - metabolism
Molecular Sequence Data
neurogenesis
Open Reading Frames - physiology
posterior tuberculum
Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 - genetics
Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 - metabolism
telencephalon
Telencephalon - metabolism
Telencephalon - physiology
Teleostei
torus longitudinalis
tyrosine hydroxylase
Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
Zebrafish - physiology
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Summary:The cannabinoid receptor 1 (Cb1) mediates the psychoactive effect of marijuana. In mammals, there is abundant evidence advocating the importance of cannabinoid signaling; activation of Cb1 exerts diverse functions, chiefly by its ability to modulate neurotransmission. Thus, much attention has been devoted to understand its role in health and disease and to evaluate its therapeutic potential. Here, we have cloned zebrafish cb1 and investigated its expression in developing and adult zebrafish brain. Sequence analysis showed that there is a high degree of conservation, especially in residues demonstrated to be critical for function in mammals. In situ hybridization revealed that zebrafish cb1 appears first in the preoptic area at 24 hours post-fertilization. Subsequently, transcripts are detected in the dorsal telencephalon, hypothalamus, pretectum and torus longitudinalis. A similar pattern of expression is recapitulated in the adult brain. While cb1 is intensively stained in the medial zone of the dorsal telencephalon, expression elsewhere is weak by comparison. In particular, localization of cb1 in the telencephalic periventricular matrix is suggestive of the involvement of Cb1 in neurogenesis, bearing strong resemblance in terms of expression and function to the proliferative mammalian hippocampal formation. In addition, a gradient-like expression of cb1 is detected in the torus longitudinalis, a teleost specific neural tissue. In relation to dopaminergic neurons in the diencephalic posterior tuberculum (considered to be the teleostean homologue of the mammalian midbrain dopaminergic system), both cb1 and tyrosine hydroxylase-expressing cells occupy non-overlapping domains. However there is evidence that they are co-localized in the caudal zone of the hypothalamus, implying a direct modulation of dopamine release in this particular region. Collectively, our data indicate the propensity of zebrafish cb1 to participate in multiple neurological processes.
ISSN:0306-4522
1873-7544
DOI:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2005.10.069